I always thought things like this were over glorified "smart" alarm clocks. Then I started having sleep problems and found out how long the waiting lists were to see a sleep specialist and decided to try to find a solution that would at least help in the meantime. I have to say that I think I have found it. I've been using this for about a week now, and have made use of both the RelaxBreath and Sunset features. The Sunset is what has worked best for me. It took a bit to get the settings just right, but the app does help with that (I do believe it would be nearly impossible though without the use of the app). And, I have to say, the gentle increase of light and sound in the morning is a much more pleasant way to wake up in the morning than my phone yelling "It's 5:15am" at me. Speaking of the app, as someone who does data analysis for a living, I absolutely love all the tracking that this app does. It is nice to see trends on things like room conditions that impact sleep and what trends there are on how long I've slept. I've learned from looking through the data that my bedroom is too loud... I know that the cause is the baby monitor that I keep next to the bed that is sitting right next to a white noise machine in the nursery... haven't figured out the fix to that one yet, but at least now I know some of what is contributing to my sleep problems. I could probably go on for pages about how much I like the data tracking in the app, but I know that isn't going to be useful for most people reading this review. Now, onto the cons, and there are a few. Remember I mentioned a baby monitor... yup, very active 18 month old in the house... and this doesn't have any type of control lock on it. Make something shiny with touch controls that light up and it attracts the paws of a toddler like a lit up Christmas tree attracts a cat. It is always a fun game at night to figure out what settings my son changed. Also, I think that a combination of the Relaxbreath and Sunset would work really well, unfortunately you can only choose one or the other. If they fixed those problems, this would easily be a 5 star product. I still definitely recommend it, it definitely a worthwhile product, it just barely falls short of being amazing though.

I hate waking up to my alarm on my iPhone. I have to use the loud, angry ones to get me up and moving, which I attribute to having 2 kids and suffering from a lack of proper sleep over the past decade. I've used the Philips band to help try and reduce my snoring, so when I saw they created a light that would simulate waking up to a natural sunrise, I was all over it. Let me just say - I love the light. It's got everything you need. My main gripe is with the app that you have to download to configure it. I hate installing one-off apps on my phone that don't serve more than a single device. The app first off requested a whole host of permissions around personal data and while I appreciate it being upfront, some of it seemed a little creepy. When I declined some of the permissions, I noticed that many of the connected features on the light wouldn't work. You need to use the app to create an alarm scheme, which thankfully you can do without signing over access to all of your data. I used the natural sunrise setting and made sure it would wake me up at 5 am. The light starts warming up around 4:30 - 4:45 am and I love that I wake up right around 5 am not feeling bleary-eyed. You can also use the touch screen controls on the light to control it and use it like a regular light. I also experienced issues with the app even connecting to the light, even though they were both on the same WiFi network. The lamp said it was connected and so did my phone, but it would regularly say it couldn't find my lamp. Once the app manages to connect, you can also control the FM radio option and also listen to live broadcast radio if you want. The app can also track your sleeping pattern if you open up the option and let the device track your data. If you're concered about privacy, you can still use the base functionality of alarm, lighting control and radio with the app. If you need a light to help wake yourself up, then this might be what you're looking for.

The Philips SmartSleep Connected Sleep and Wake-Up light therapy lamp is a very interesting device and the concept is a good one in my opinion. Normally I wake up naturally to the sun shining in my room, but that changes when we must turn our clocks back and I still have to wake up at the same time to get to work on time. This light can simulate the morning light that I am used to, and I find that I am having an easier time (especially this time of the year with turning the clocks back) waking up and feeling refreshed. There are many settings to play with when you connect the Philips SleepMapper app. For example, you can choose from different sunrises such as, Sunny day (bright white), Nordic white (less bright white), Island Red (mixture of white and red), and Caribbean red (bright red). You can adjust the light intensity as well as the duration of the sunrise. You can set multiple alarms as well as different sounds and if you are a heavy sleeper and need more to wake you up, there is a PowerWake feature which is an extra alarm (in case you sleep thru your others) that will activate with a loud sound and bright flashing lights, this is something my wife needs, but I don’t. The sleeping features are pretty good as well. I set mine to start about 45 minutes before I need to be sleeping and I find the sunset lights a nice touch and the soothing sounds of waves help me to fall asleep faster. The app also has a bedtime tracking feature, but I haven’t investigated that much in the short time that I have had it. Over time that might provide some insight into better sleeping habits though and I look forward to checking that out more.

I’m totally “in-love” with this sleep therapy lamp! It ... is ... awesome! And, it’s super cool looking! Yet the Philips SmartSleep and Wake-Up Light Therapy Lamp is so much more, with many fun (yes, fun) and healthful features, that have honestly helped me with my sleep issues. Thank you, Philips! Included with the lamp, is a detailed (printed) User’s Manual. That is always a ‘Pro’ in my book, especially with a device such as this, where you really need to fully understand the device’s features, so as to get the most out of your experience using it. Yes, there is an app - the Philips SleepMapper app - but even the app itself is easy to figure out and its features simple to navigate. This sleep therapy lamp simulates the natural light of a beautiful sunrise to gently prepare you for waking up and beginning your day. I found that I woke up more easily, more refreshed, and in a better mood. The lamp also simulates the warm glow of a beautiful sunset, lulling you into a relaxed feeling before falling asleep. Being able to relax my body and mind to allow myself to fall asleep, is one of my most difficult sleep challenges. I definitely believe the sunset simulation is helping me work towards overcoming that. (Customize the settings for these features, in the SleepMapper app, to suit your own personal preferences, and needs.) One of the more amazing aspects of this SmartSleep Therapy Lamp is that the device has a built-in AmbiTrack sensor which monitors the ambient conditions within the room. In the SleepMapper app under ‘Data,’ it will tell you the temperature / humidity / luminance / noise levels of your bedroom, and whether those levels are optimal or not, with suggestions on how to improve those conditions. I routinely sleep with a fan on, so unfortunately, the noise level in my room is more than likely never going to be shown as “optimal.” But that’s okay; I’m used to it. And by setting my choice of ‘relaxing sound’ both to fall asleep by and wake-up to, at a certain volume, I’m still well able to hear them without any problem. Other useful, and healthful, features: - Wind-down program, using light and sound guided relaxation - ‘RelaxBreathe’ which teaches you to use the belly breathing technique. This may take some getting used to, especially if you’re unfamiliar with relaxation exercises. Give yourself time to ease into it, and adjust the techniques accordingly, so that you are comfortable doing them. - FM Radio - preset 5 stations (with the option to wake-up or fall asleep to music). - Aux Music - connect your mobile phone or MP3 device via the included auxiliary cable and listen to your own music (however, you cannot wake-up or fall asleep to music via this auxiliary option). - Midnight light - a nightlight feature for when you get up up in the middle of the night and need to find your way in the dark. - You can also use the lamp as a reading light. - Charge your mobile phone via the USB port found on the back side of the device. - Set wake-up alarms - need a little extra time to convince yourself to get up? You can activate ‘snooze’ by tapping the top of the lighted disk. The PowerWake alarm, while not something I’ve any use for, is a feature I’m certain will prove useful for those who find it particularly difficult to get themselves up in the morning by using a standard alarm with snooze feature. Mornings still “come too early” if you know what I mean, but I no longer ‘dread’ waking up. I actually look forward to that calm, soothing light and pleasant sound, which welcomes me to the start of a brand new day. *two enthusiastic thumbs up*

I got the Philips SmartSleep a little under a week ago and for the most part I am a fan of the wakeup light functionality. Setup was fairly easy. I downloaded the SleepMapper app from the iOS app store and after creating an account it was able to connect to the device. The app guided me through the process of getting the device on my Wifi and then update the firmware. Afterwards I was able to configure the alarms. I generally watch TV before bed, I haven't used the RelaxBreathe feature.However, I did configure an alarm for 1 hour before I usually go to bed to give my room a nice mood light. The alarm light works in the following manner. You set a profile for the light, including the brightness, and the amount of time before the alarm to gradually increase the light. The radio on the alarm works as you expect. However, there are a few improvements I wish they would make. The first is the brightness of the clock / function keys. I wish it would get a little brighter. I also wish the clock was a little larger. It is hard to read across the room. The other omission that baffles me is that the only for of aux audio input is via a 3.5 mm mini jack. I would have expected that the device would support playing audio via bluetooth, or at least via the USB port for charging. While the device isn't perfect, it provides a nice way to wake up in the morning.